At the top, we have Photoshop's Move and Selection tools. And directly below them are the Crop and Slice tools. Below that are the Measurement tools, followed by Photoshop's many Retouching and Painting tools. Next are the Drawing and Type tools. Adobe Photoshop is the most popular image editing software in today’s world. We are now using it for both personal and commercial uses. It helps in a good number of ways to restore the glorious memories, to beautify personal photos, glamour retouching, background removing, image enhancing, and many more. Path Selection Tool is used while working with paths in Adobe Photoshop. Its performance is based along with the Pen tool. Text Tool adds text in your image using any font style, size and color. #7 – Adobe Photoshop – Retouching Tools As the name itself suggests, Photoshop is a software intended to edit raster images and mostly used for correction of images at the initial stages. As the tides of change hit the technological word, Photoshop has extended to every industry including Print, 3D, The Web and a lot more. Quick Photoshop Tutorials. Convert Summer into Winter in Photoshop. Add Makeup in Photoshop. Portrait Edit in Photoshop Elements 11. 2 – You can adjust the color levels. There is often a slider function that allows you to play with the brightness and contrast at the same time. You can play with the levels to see if your image looks better.
Learn all about the Photoshop interface and its features. Topics include the Document window, the Toolbar, the Options Bar, Menu Bar, and Panels. Also covers Workspaces, as well as the new Search feature. For Photoshop CC and CS6.
In this tutorial, we begin our chapter on Photoshop's interface with a quick, general tour of the main features the interface has to offer. There's lots that we can do with Photoshop, and over the years, Photoshop has grown into a massive program. But the interface itself is actually quite simple. In fact, there's really only a handful of sections we need to know about. We'll look at each of them in this tutorial.
We'll start with the Document window, the main area where we view and edit our image. Then, we'll look at the Toolbar where we find Photoshop's many tools. Directly related to the Toolbar is the Options Bar. The Options Bar displays options for the tool we've selected. The Menu Bar along the top of the interface holds all sorts of options and commands related to files, image editing, selections, layers, type, and more. And the panel area along the right is where we find and use the many panels that Photoshop gives us to work with. We'll take a general look at all of these features here, and cover some of them in more detail in other lessons in this chapter.
We'll also learn about the new Search feature that was recently added to Photoshop. And we'll take our first look at workspaces and how they customize the appearance of the interface. I'll be using Photoshop CC but this tutorial is also compatible with Photoshop CS6. This is the first of 10 lessons in our Learning The Photoshop Interface series. Let's get started!
The Photoshop Interface
Here's what the Photoshop interface looks like once we've opened an image. We learned all about opening images in the previous chapter in this training series (super adorable photo from Adobe Stock):
The Photoshop CC interface. Photo credit: Adobe Stock.
The Document Window
The Document window is the large area in the center of the interface where the image is displayed. It's also where we edit the image. The actual area where the image is visible is known as the canvas. The dark area surrounding the image is the pasteboard. The pasteboard doesn't really serve a purpose other than to fill in the space around the image when the image itself is too small to fill the entire Document window:
The Document Tab
At the top of the Document window is the document's tab. The tab displays the name and file type of the document ('AdobeStock_145722872.jpeg') and its current zoom level (25%). The tab is also how we switch between document windows when we have more than one image open in Photoshop. We'll learn more about working with multiple documents in another lesson:
The Document window tab.
The Zoom Level And Status Bar
In the bottom left of the Document window, we find more information about the image. The current zoom level is displayed, just like it is in the document's tab. And to the right of the zoom level is the Status Bar. By default, the Status Bar displays the color profile of the image. In my case, it's Adobe RGB (1998). Yours may say something different, like sRGB IEC61966-2.1. We learned about color profiles in the Essential Photoshop Color Settings tutorial back in Chapter 1:
The document's current zoom level (left) and the Status Bar (right).
Click and hold on the Status Bar to view additional information about the image, like its Width and Height, Resolution, and color information (Channels):
The Status Bar displays more info about the image when you click and hold on it.
You can also change the type of information that the Status Bar displays. Click on the arrow on the right of the Status Bar to open a menu where you can choose to view different details, like Document Sizes (the file size) or Dimensions (the width, height and resolution). I'll leave it set to the default, Document Profile:
Use the Status Bar to view many types of information about your document.
The Toolbar
The Toolbar (also known as the Toolbox or the Tools panel) is where Photoshop holds all of its tools. You'll find it along the left of Photoshop's interface. There's tools for making selections, for editing and retouching images, for painting, adding type or shapes to your document, and more:
Expanding The Toolbar
By default, the Toolbar appears as a long, single column of tools. Clicking the double-arrows at the top will expand the Toolbar into a shorter, double column. Click the arrows again to return to the single-column layout:
The Toolbar can be viewed as a single (default) or double column.
The Toolbar's Hidden Tools
Photoshop includes lots of tools. In fact, there are many more tools than what we see. Most of the tools in the Toolbar have other tools nested in with them in the same spot. Click and hold on a tool's icon to view a menu of the other tools hiding behind it.
For example, by default, the Rectangular Marquee Tool is selected. It's the second tool from the top. If I click and hold on the Rectangular Marquee Tool's icon, a fly-out menu appears. The menu shows me that the Elliptical Marquee Tool, the Single Row Marquee Tool and the Single Column Marquee Tool can also be selected from that same spot. We'll learn more about the Toolbar in the next tutorial, and we'll learn how to use Photoshop's tools in other lessons throughout this training series:
Most of the spots in the Toolbar hold several tools, not just one.
The Options Bar
Directly linked to the Toolbar is Photoshop's Options Bar. The Options Bar displays options for whichever tool we've selected in the Toolbar. You'll find the Options Bar along the top of the interface, just above the document window. Here we see that, because I currently have the Rectangular Marquee Tool selected, the Options Bar is showing options for the Rectangular Marquee Tool:
Options for the selected tool appear in the Options Bar.
If I choose a different tool from the Toolbar, like the Crop Tool:
Then the options in the Options Bar change. Instead of seeing options for the Rectangular Marquee Tool, we're now seeing options for the Crop Tool:
The Options Bar updates each time a new tool is selected.
The Menu Bar
Along the very top of Photoshop's interface is the Menu Bar. The Menu Bar is where we find various options and commands, all grouped into categories. The File menu, for example, holds options for opening, saving and closing documents. The Layer menu lists options for working with layers. Photoshop's many filters are found under the Filter menu, and so on. We won't go through every category and menu item here, but we'll learn all about them in future lessons as they become important. Note that the 'Photoshop CC' category on the left of the Menu Bar in the screenshot is only found in the Mac version of Photoshop:
The Panels
Along the right of Photoshop's interface is where we find the panels. Panels give us access to all sorts of commands and options, and there are different panels for different tasks. The most important panel is the Layers panel. It's where we add, delete and work with layers in our document. But there are lots of other panels as well, all of which we'll be looking at later:
The panels are located in a column along the right of Photoshop.
Panel Groups
To save space on the screen, Adobe groups related panels together. For example, let's look at the Layers panel. Just like the Document window, each panel has a tab at the top which displays the panel's name. Notice, though, that there are two other tabs to the right of the Layers tab. One says Channels and the other says Paths. These are other panels that are nested in with the Layers panel in the same panel group. The name of the panel that's currently open in the group (in this case, the Layers panel) appears brighter than the others:
The Layers panel is one of three panels in the group.
Switching Between Panels In A Group
To switch to a different panel in a group, click on its tab. Here, I've opened the Channels panel. To switch back to the Layers panel, again click on its tab:
Click the tabs in a group to switch between the panels.
Where To Find More Panels In Photoshop
By default, only a handful of panels are displayed at first. But there are many more panels available to us in Photoshop. You'll find the complete list of panels under the Window menu in the Menu Bar:
The panels are listed in a long, single column. I've split the column in half here just to help it fit better on the page. To select a panel, click on its name in the list. A checkmark to the left of a panel's name means that the panel is already open. Selecting a panel that's already open will close it.
All of Photoshop's panels can be accessed from the Window menu.
The Search Bar
New in Photoshop CC is the Search bar. The Search bar lets us quickly find tools or commands in Photoshop, as well as tutorials on different topics, or images from Adobe Stock. To use the Search feature, click on the Search icon (the magnifying glass) in the upper right of Photoshop. You'll find it just above the panel column. If you're using Photoshop CC but you're not seeing the Search icon, make sure your copy of Photoshop is up to date:
Clicking the Search icon (only available in Photoshop CC).
Clicking the icon opens the Search bar. Enter your search term at the top. For example, I'll enter 'Crop'. The Search bar then expands to show you the results. Here, we see that searching for 'Crop' found Photoshop's Crop Tool and the Perspective Crop Tool. It also found the Crop and Straighten Photos command, the Trim command and the Crop command. Click on any tool or command in the list to quickly select it. Below the tools and commands is a tutorial from Adobe on how to crop and straighten photos, as well as images related to 'Crop' on Adobe Stock (although farming crops isn't really what I had in mind). Clicking on a tutorial or an image will launch your web browser and take you to the Adobe or Adobe Stock website.
Directly below your search term at the top is a menu allowing you to limit the type of results. By default, All is selected. To limit the results to just Photoshop's tools, panels and commands, choose Photoshop. For tutorials on your search term, choose Learn. And to view only images from Adobe Stock, choose Stock:
Use the Search feature to quickly find what you're looking for.
Workspaces
Finally, let's look at workspaces. A workspace in Photoshop is a preset collection and arrangement of the various interface elements. Workspaces can control which of Photoshop's panels are displayed on the screen, along with how those panels are arranged. A workspace can change the layout of the tools in the Toolbar. Items in the Menu Bar, along with keyboard shortcuts, can also be customized as part of a workspace.
By default, Photoshop uses a workspace known as Essentials. The Essentials workspace is a general, all-purpose workspace, with an interface layout that's suitable for many different types of tasks. But there are other workspaces to choose from as well. We can switch between workspaces using the Workspace option in the upper right of Photoshop. In Photoshop CC, the Workspace option is represented by an icon. In Photoshop CS6, it's a selection box, with the name of the currently-selected workspace displayed in the box:
Click on the icon (or the selection box) to open a menu of other workspaces we can choose from. Photoshop includes several built-in workspaces. Each one customizes the interface for a specific type of work. As I mentioned, Essentials is a general, all-purpose workspace. If you're a web designer, you may want to switch to the Graphic and Web workspace. For image editing, the Photography workspace is a good choice. Keep an eye on your panels and on your Toolbar as you switch between workspaces to see what's changing.
We'll look more closely at workspaces, including how to create and save your own custom workspaces, in another tutorial. Note that all of our tutorials use the default Essentials workspace, so I recommend sticking with Essentials as you're learning Photoshop:
Use the Workspace menu to easily switch between workspaces.
Where to go next..
And there we have it! That's a quick overview of the interface and its features in Photoshop! In the next lesson in this chapter, we'll take a more detailed look at Photoshop's Toolbar, including a complete summary of every one of Photoshop's tools!
Or check out any of the other lessons in this chapter:
For more chapters and for our latest tutorials, visit our Photoshop Basics section!
Get all of our Photoshop tutorials as PDFs! Download them today!
Almost exactly 6 months ago (February 28th 2007), Adobe promised an online edition of Photoshop 'within 6 months'. That hasn't materialized yet, but in the meantime we thought we'd take a look at the desktop version, which is an irreplaceable tool for every photographer and web designer out there..even most bloggers can't live without it. In this post, we have compiled a one-stop-shop for various Photoshop tools and resources. Photoshop Plugins, Filters and Brushes
Twisting Pixels – The leading developer of Photoshop plugins and filters for web, multimedia and print publications.
Brushes.net.tc – Over 400 free, quality, custom brushes for Photoshop versions 7+.
Filter Forge – A plugin for Adobe Photoshop that allows you to build your own Photoshop filters.
Alien Skin Software – Develops filters for Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Photoshop Elements, Adobe Fireworks, Adobe After Effects and Corel Paint Shop Pro. Graphic designers and digital photographers everywhere use our plugins for print, Web, and photo restoration work.
Action Central – Directory of Photoshop actions created by users. Runs an exchange where people can upload and download actions.
PS Brushes – A nice collection of free Photoshop brushes.
Filter Factory – A very large collection of filters available for Photoshop, they are all free and made with the Filter Factory module (provided with PS) by various authors.
Brush Find – Directory filled with thousands of custom Photoshop brushes scattered across the internet.
Fonts in Design – Hundreds and hundreds of fonts you can use with Adobe Photoshop.
The Imaging Factory - Collection of commercial use, Adobe Photoshop plugins.
Brusheezy - A place for artists to download and vote for the best custom photoshop brushes and photoshop patterns on the internet.
Redfield Plugins – Lots of very nice Photoshop plugins, 3D backgrounds and tutorials.
BrushFed – 1000 plus brushes for Adobe Photoshop.
SiteGrinder - SiteGrinder is a Photoshop Plug-in that converts Photoshop designs to web sites. There is many features and makes web design a breeze.
GrafNet - On this site you can find descriptions of effects of thousands of filters, see how they modify the picture, download the filters you need and also contact their authors.
Mehdi – Site has many free plugins and resources.
Filter Meister – A plugin for Adobe Photoshop that has the ability to create professional plugin filters which can be distributed on a royalty-free basis.
Richard Rosenman - This page features a growing set of (mostly free) Photoshop filters and plugins coded by the author.
Good-Presets – Large collection of brushes, patterns, gradients, style and more for Photoshop.
Void Brushes – Currently has 827 Photoshop brushes in 34 sets for free download. Site does require a reciprocal link if you choose to use them.
AV Bros. - Very nice collection of commercial filter plugins for Adobe Photoshop.
Wetzel & Company – Has a large collection of copyright free backgrounds and textures for art directors, illustrators and web designers using Photoshop.
The Plugin Site – Nice collection of Photoshop compatible plugins. Textures, frames and filters to name a few.
Action Addiction – Here you will find a collection of actions available to download for Photoshop 4 or above.
Plugins World – An extensive directory of Photoshop filters and plugins from various artists on the web.
Xero Graphics – Nice collection of Photoshop compatible plugins.
PhotoshopBrushes.com - A selection of Photoshop Brushes for free download, all the Designs are free to use for commercial and non commercial use.
Photoshop Tutorials and Learning Resources
Photoshop User TV – Free weekly podcast from the “Photoshop Guys” covering the hottest Photoshop tutorials, insider tricks and timesaving techniques to raise the bar with your productivity.
Action Fx – Tutorials, tips and downloads for Photoshop users.
Photoshop Lab – Site filled with Photoshop tutorials, tips, news, reviews and resources for the enthusiastic Photoshop user.
Photoshop Training – In depth, online training courses for Photoshop Professionals. Produced by NAPP.
BittBox – Well written tutorial explains how to create your own custom Photoshop brushes.
Tutorialized - Another tutorial directory loaded with Photoshop tutorials covering all aspects of re-touching, photo manipulation, graphic design and so much more.
Photoshop Quick Tips – Adobe Certified Expert, Justin Seeley, produces this regular podcast covering lots of Photoshop tips and techniques.
Pegaweb – Collection of Photoshop Tutorials.
Photoshop Elements User – Complete Resource for Photoshop Elements learning and education. Features online training, a newsletter, forums and a learning center.
Photoshop Roadmap - Photoshop specific tutorial directory.
Photoshop Killer Tips – Free downloadable videos filled with tips, workarounds, and shortcuts to make your Photoshop experience that much better.
Photoshop Star - A website dedicated to bringing you free, high-quality Photoshop tutorials.
Absolute Cross – Directory with tutorials covering layouts, special effects, interfaces and more.
Grafx-Design – Smaller directory of tutorials.
Photoshop Videos – The official dvd training site of NAPP. Online video store filled with videos covering a variety of projects for Photoshop users.
Mike's SketchPad – Very nice selection of Photoshop tutorials to increase your design skills.
Tutorial Man – This is a site filled with hundreds of Photoshop tutorials, covering web graphics, digital art, layouts and more.
PsLover – 10,230+ Photoshop tutorials at your disposal.
Planet Photoshop – Photoshop tutorials, video tutorials, reviews and a forum to interact with other Photoshop users.
PSD-Tutorials – Tons of Photoshop tutorials. Covering every aspect of Photoshop and you can submit your own tutorials.
Total Training – Step by Step Photoshop video tutorials for an experience level.
Pixel Perfect – Master digital artist Bert Monroy hosts this podcast. Learn the tips and tricks you need need to create great digital works in Photoshop.
Total Tutorials – Lots of very detailed Photoshop tutorials.
PS Workshop – Site has over two thousand Photoshop tutorials, plus Photoshop tools and forums to connect with other artists.
Magazines, Associations and other Resources
Adobe – Official home of Photoshop. You can purchase, upgrade and receive support for the latest editions of Photoshop.
Photoshop Cafe – Very popular and busy, forums with others interested in Photoshop techniques and design.
Layers Magazine – The premier magazine for Adobe Photoshop, InDesign and Illustrator.
Photoshop User – The website of NAPP(National Association of Photoshop Professionals). Has a members only community, their official magazine, discounts and Photoshop tech support.
Photoshop Seminars – Web based directory of Photoshop seminars and tours around the country.
Photoshop Insider – Blog written by Scott Kelby, the editor and publisher of Photoshop User Magazine and President of NAPP.
Photoshop Tools List
Photoshop Forums – Very active Photoshop forum with tips, techniques and tutorials from other interested Photoshop users.
Photoshop Help – Hosted by Jim Barthman, this is a blog dedicated to providing free help for Photoshop and digital photography questions.
Photoshop World – Official home of the Photoshop World conference and expo.
John Nack on Adobe – A blog written by John Nack the Senior Product Manager for Adobe Photoshop. Covers interesting news and information about Photoshop, photography and related issues.
Graphics.com Photoshop Forum – Busy Photoshop forum moderated by Photoshop professionals.
Photoshop Hall of Fame - The mission of the Photoshop Hall of Fame is to honor and recognize those individuals whose contributions to the business, education, development, and art of Adobe Photoshop have enduring value.
Photoshop Support Forums – Adobe has several support forums for their popular Photoshop program.
PhotoshopNews.com – A blog covering the latest news, trends and information for Adobe Photoshop.
Photoshop 911 – Submit your Photoshop related problems to their emergency hotline for a Photoshop professional to answer your question on the blog.
Adobe Digital Kids Club - A special site created for teachers, students, and parents. You'll find the essential digital photography, video, and imaging resources you need to engage students in learning while teaching them important digital communication skills.
Computer Arts – An online magazine filled with tutorials, design tips, galleries, competitions and more from industry leading professionals.
PhotoshopGuru's Forum - Friendly Photoshop forum, tutorials and all other kind of resources to help people understand this wonderful program.
Simple Photoshop – Here you will find a comprehensive Toolbox reference, that will show you just what all of those little icons on the toolbar actually do.
Photoshop Contests
Worth 1000 – One of the leading creative competition and Photoshop contest sites on the internet. There is always new Photoshop contests taking place.
Freaking News – Members get cash for participating and winning daily Photoshop contests. Also has a full gallery of previous contest entries and winners.
Photoshop Contest – Use Photoshop to manipulate and modify images, then enter them in their contests. Members can view, vote and comment on your work.
PhotoChopz – Photoshop forum that holds regular contests for Photoshop users.
Fark.com Photoshop Contests – Fark.com holds regular Photoshop contests available to registered members. Check this page for updates and new contests.
MechaPixel – Regular Photoshop contests and gallery of past contests.
PhotoshopFaceoff - Members take a daily image and modify it in anyway they choose-they can then post their image to the site for viewing by the general public.Members may also vote and comment on their favorite entries and at the end of each Face-Off a 'winner' is declared.
Photos.com Challenge – They give you a set of images to download and then you rework and create a new image from the set.
All Photoshop Tool
Photoshop Talent - There are 2 types of contests. Contests with a given source image and contests with a given theme. Users submit their photoshopped images in these contests. Later on, people can vote on these entries to determine a contest winner.